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Honoring Milestones – Round 2

Today I sent my middle child off to kindergarten. I was reminded of the day three years ago when my firstborn stepped onto that bus for the first time, and this little guy cried and cried because he couldn’t join her. How time flies.

I was fully prepared for him to be anxious today, given the crescendo we’ve built in our house leading up to this morning, but he surprised me with his easy nonchalance. His three-year-old sister gleefully woke him up at 6:45AM,  giving him a full hour to get ready for the big morning. Oh, boy. He dressed himself in his brand new uniform, brushed his teeth and combed his hair, ate a little breakfast, checked to make sure the snack we’d put in his backpack was still there, and announced that he was ready to go!

He not-so-patiently posed for a few pictures with his sister, trotted off down the street with his backpack, and when that big yellow bus rounded the corner, he was ALL SMILES. He made it easy for me today. I didn’t feel weepy except for the one precious moment when I bent down to kiss the top of his head before he boarded the bus.

We waved to him and he waved back through that little bus window, and I walked back home with our little entourage to get ready for my own work day. It was almost too easy. I was thrilled that he’d done so well, that he felt safe and happy. Truly. But something felt a little bit off.

I got settled in for the morning with my to-do list and my coffee…and that’s when it hit me. I read a blog post someone had shared on Facebook, and the words just undid me. The tears finally came. And you know what? That’s exactly what I needed. I needed to feel it. I needed to put aside the pile of work and let myself get lost in a trip down memory lane thinking back to all the moments that led up to today. I needed to sit for a few minutes imagining the countless milestones yet to come, the moments when being his mother will be the most important job I have. The tears have arrived in waves this morning and I’ve welcomed them as a tangible marker of this milestone.

When I get this little guy off the bus later today, he’ll be all smiles, and so will I.  But we’ll each be a little bit wiser, too, because it’s these milestones that change us…for the better.

Grilled Peaches with Honey Cream

I really want to get this recipe into your hands before summer unofficially ends as school begins. Some of you may have already crossed that threshold, but here in Ohio, we have one last weekend of summertime bliss before we put our backpacked bundles of joy onto the bus next week.

If you want to hold onto the last wisps of summer, this dessert will do it. A simple grilled peach topped with honey cream is an amazing way to end a Sunday evening. This “cream” is actually made by thinning out a little nonfat Greek yogurt to make a deliciously sweet topping for a perfectly ripe peach. Another summer in the books. I hope yours was a great one.

 

Grilled Peaches with Honey Cream

adapted from Cooking Light

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons honey, divided

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)

Dash of kosher salt

4 medium peaches, pitted and halved

Cooking Spray

1/3 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt

2 1/2 tablespoons half-and-half

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup fresh raspberries

 

Directions:

1. Mix melted butter, 1 tablespoon honey, cardamom (optional), and salt in a bowl. Add peaches, toss to coat, and allow to stand for 5 minutes.

2. Heat grill to medium. Rub grates with oil and arrange peaches on grill; cook 2 minutes on each side or until grill marks appear.

3. Combine yogurt, half-and-half, remaining 1 tablespoon honey, and vanilla in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Serve over with peaches and fresh raspberries.

Ginger Fish in a Packet

You wouldn’t believe how often I get questions about how to cook fish; it’s still one of those foods that makes people a little nervous. They either think 1) their house is going to smell awful or 2) fish cookery is terribly complicated. If you’re among the skeptics, I’m about to dispel your fears.

This recipe is quick, fragrant, and nearly mess-free! You’re going to cook a mild fish in foil or parchment packets with aromatic additions like ginger, soy, garlic, sesame oil, and sherry. If you haven’t cooked with these ingredients before, you are in for a treat! These classic Asian flavors smell amazing – certainly nothing like the fish sticks of your childhood.

I’m recommending tilapia here because it’s ubiquitous these days, but you can use any mild white fish like sea bass, branzino, flounder, or red snapper if you’d prefer. Once you get the packets assembled, you’re 12 minutes away from dinner. That just might make you a fish cooking convert!

 

Ginger Fish in a Packet

serves 4

 

Ingredients

1 carrot

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

6 shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps sliced

1 1/3 pounds skinless tilapia fillets, cut into 4 portions

2 scallions, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

1 tablespoon dry sherry

 

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Fold four 20-inch long pieces of foil or parchment in half.

2.  Using a vegetable peeler, shave the carrot into long strips.  Divide carrot into four portions, and mound each portion in the center of each piece of foil.  Divide the ginger, garlic, and mushrooms equally among the packets and place on top of the carrots.  Place a piece of fish on top of the vegetables.  Arrange the scallions on top.

3.  Combine the soy sauce, oil, and sherry.  Pour over the portions of fish.  Close the packets with tight folds.

4.  Arrange, uncrowded, in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake.  A 3/4 – 1 inch fillet will take about 12 minutes to bake.  Cut an X in each packet to release steam and place on individual dinner plates. Voila!